About
The WAGE Project
Women and Gender Equity — a transformative initiative designed to challenge the barriers and stereotypes that limit opportunities for women directors.
Heels On Reels · June 2026
Our Vision
Reshaping who gets
to tell the story.
A thriving film industry where women directors are empowered to lead with creativity and equality, reshaping narratives and breaking barriers for generations to come.
Through advocacy, research and targeted outreach, we aim to create systemic change that fosters inclusivity and equity in the film industry — not a single intervention, but a sustained programme of evidence, engagement and accountability.
Key Objectives
What we set out to do.
Engage with women directors and allies
Bring directors, allies and industry stakeholders together to name and address the systemic barriers that shape whose work gets made.
Conduct research
Identify and understand the challenges faced by women directors through surveys, in-depth interviews and a mixed-methods evaluation approach.
Develop advocacy materials and strategies
Translate findings into campaigns, public service announcements and toolkits that drive industry-wide change.
Move stakeholders to act
Engage decision-makers to implement intentional actions, programs and policies that empower women directors.
The Campaign
Breaking Barriers, Igniting Change.
A national initiative to amplify the voices of women directors.
Heels On Reels launched to stakeholders at Verity in Toronto, bringing together directors, producers, funders, advocates and press. The evening paired a media backdrop and red-carpet reception with something less usual for the industry: an open floor, where directors spoke plainly about what has stood in their way.
That conversation is the raw material for everything that follows — the research, the toolkits and the policy asks.
Our Home
A project of the Transformation Institute.
Heels On Reels is delivered by the Transformation Institute For Leadership & Innovation, established with the mission of improving lives for personal and collective success.
Since 2010 the institute has run the Transformation Awards, the Crossover Mentorship Program, the Phenomenal Women and Men Of Distinction initiatives and the Diversity Expo. Its operational strategy is to minimise cost and maximise impact through collaboration, technology and the power of diversity — the same approach that shapes this project.
